Scottish Executive

Access for Disabled People

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance is available to businesses wanting to provide disability access when renovating and extending existing premises.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive does not provide financial assistance to businesses wanting to provide disability access when renovating and extending existing premises.

Care of Elderly People

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received, or discussions it has held, concerning the decision by the Church of Scotland to close its care home at Leslie House in Fife.

Mr Frank McAveety: We have received six such representations. We held no discussions with the Church of Scotland regarding the future of Leslie House; this is a local matter, to be resolved between the church and the relevant commissioners of care and with the future well-being of residents in mind.

Dentistry

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to increase the number of dental graduates.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The number of dentists working in Scotland has increased constantly over the last 30 years and by 300 in the last eight years. We are committed to increasing numbers further. The Scottish Advisory Committee for the Dental Workforce (SACDW) advises on the most effective way to achieve this, and increasing the student intake is only one of the various options that the committee considers.

  SACDW increased dental student numbers in 2000, to set a target graduate output of 120 per annum. There are currently no plans for a further increase, though SACDW will consider issues of recruitment, retention and supply when it next meets on 23 August 2002.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies have been carried out into the issue of abandoned vehicles.

Ross Finnie: No studies on the issue of abandoned vehicles have been published by the Scottish Executive.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual costs to local authorities are of dealing with abandoned vehicles.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be made available to local authorities or any other relevant body to deal with abandoned vehicles.

Ross Finnie: Collection and disposal of abandoned vehicles is an established responsibility of local authorities, the cost of which is covered by the GAE. It is not yet clear what effect the new regulations will have on levels of abandonment or costs of disposal of abandoned vehicles. In these circumstances, the Executive has not yet determined whether additional funding should be made available.

European Funding

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider fully funding the Scottish European Resource Centre, which it currently match funds, in light of the proposed cessation of funding by the European Commission office in London in December 2002.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive is in the process of establishing the reasons for this proposed withdrawal of funding.

European Funding

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has given to the Scottish European Resource Centre in match funding in each of the last three financial years.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive does not contribute directly to the Scottish European Resource Centre’s funding. It was, however, content that Community Learning Scotland and currently YouthLink Scotland use some of the Executive’s grant for match funding of the centre.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever received any notice under paragraph 6.8 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Yes.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever given any notice under paragraph 7.1 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26712 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 July 2002, who the operator would be in the event of the franchise not being let or re-let.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26712 by Lewis Macdonald on 3 July 2002, who the operator of last resort would be in the event of the franchise not being let or re-let.

Lewis Macdonald: Under the Railways Act 1993, as amended by the Transport Act 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) becomes the operator (known as the "operator of last resort") when a franchise agreement comes to an end, but no further franchise agreement has been entered into.

  The SRA ceases to become the operator as soon as services begin to be provided under a franchise agreement.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has the powers to direct the Strategic Rail Authority to create a public not-for-profit trust company to take over the Scottish passenger rail franchise should such an action be deemed desirable at the end of the current ScotRail franchise.

Lewis Macdonald: Under The Railways Act 1993, as amended by The Transport Act 2000, public sector operators are not permitted to become franchisees.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has met The Highland Council in connection with a proposal for a feasibility study in respect of a Stromeferry bypass.

Lewis Macdonald: No.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Sustainable Development Forum is due to meet.

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it expects to take part in the Sustainable Development Forum and what the remit of the forum is.

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members it expects to attend the first meeting of the Sustainable Development Forum.

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to select and appoint members to the first meeting of the Sustainable Development Forum and whether these criteria will be used to select and appoint members to any subsequent meeting.

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects participants at the first meeting of the Sustainable Development Forum to remain members throughout the life of the forum and if not, what procedures have been put in place to replace any member or to add to the membership of the forum.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27187 on 1 August 2002.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it announced the formation of the Sustainable Development Forum to the Parliament and the public and what form the announcement took.

Ross Finnie: The Executive’s intention to set up a Sustainable Development Forum was announced in the answer to question S1W-18932 on 9 October 2001.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how often it expects the Sustainable Development Forum to meet.

Ross Finnie: As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-18932, the Sustainable Development Forum will, in the first instance, operate until May 2003. The first meeting was held in Dundee on 24 July. We anticipate that the forum will meet again later in 2002.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many organisations across civic society and involved in sustainable development work were invited in writing to participate in the Sustainable Development Forum.

Ross Finnie: No organisation has been directly invited to participate in the Sustainable Development Forum. Instead, advertisements were placed in the national press on 7 June and expressions of interest have been received from a wide range of sectors including civic society.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it has put in place to report the deliberations and conclusions of the Sustainable Development Forum and to take these conclusions into account.

Ross Finnie: We intend to place further information about the Sustainable Development Forum on our website at: www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk . We envisage that this will include a note of the main points raised at the forum. We will ensure that points raised are drawn to the attention of relevant ministers and officials.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many officials and what budget have been made available to support the work of the Sustainable Development Forum.

Ross Finnie: The Forum will be supported and funded by the Executive’s Sustainable Development Team as part of their normal business.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive where it advertised for interested persons to take part in the Sustainable Development Forum and what the normal process is for canvassing interest for such bodies.

Ross Finnie: Adverts in the national press on 7 June invited nominations and requests to attend the Sustainable Development Forum. Information was also available at: www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk . The adverts indicated that we want to ensure that the forum has a wide range of participants from all sectors.

  There is no set procedure for canvassing interest in bodies such as the forum. We considered the approach taken to be an appropriate mechanism in this case, and have been impressed by the number and quality of responses.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what issues will be on the agenda for the first meeting of the Sustainable Development Forum.

Ross Finnie: The agenda for the first meeting of the forum will include presentations on the Executive’s strategy for sustainable development as set out in "Meeting the Needs…", on the "Do a Little, Change a Lot" campaign and on the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Scottish members of the Sustainable Development Commission will give a presentation on their work. There will be an opportunity for group discussions and for participants to consider the future work of the forum.

Sustainable Development

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive who will chair the first and subsequent meetings of the Sustainable Development Forum.

Ross Finnie: In my unavoidable absence because of illness, the forum was chaired by Mr John Graham, Head of the Scottish Executive, Environment and Rural Affairs Department. The arrangements for the next meeting will be announced in due course.

Timber Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has convened the meeting between the forestry industry and COSLA representatives to discuss timber transport and rural roads issues as agreed by the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development on 30 May 2002 ( Official Report c 12540) and whether increased investment in rural roads is in the interests of the forestry industry.

Lewis Macdonald: I understand that the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development has written to COSLA regarding a meeting, but no date has been arranged as yet.

  On investment, the Executive's Scottish Forestry Strategy identifies the development of timber transport infrastructure as a priority for action. However, it remains a matter for councils to determine their priorities on the maintenance of local roads used by timber transport, in terms of all the resources for which they are responsible, and to allocate resources to individual projects accordingly.

Timber Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the exercise of powers by local authorities to impose weight restrictions on roads may lead to areas of forest becoming isolated and whether any such action should be the subject of consultation with the Executive before it is taken.

Lewis Macdonald: Decisions on the management of local roads, including the imposition of weight restrictions, are a matter for local authorities. Consultation with the Executive on individual cases would not be appropriate. Wider issues concerning transport infrastructure and access to forest areas are being taken forward by the Timber Transport Forum.

  The Executive is aware of difficulties which can arise where areas of forest can become isolated or landlocked. In such circumstances, local authorities work closely with the forestry industry to identify alternative haulage routes, wherever possible.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated administration costs are of the proposed congestion charging scheme in Edinburgh expressed as a percentage of the estimated amount of revenue to be raised by the scheme.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter currently being explored by the City of Edinburgh Council and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh as part of the development of their charging proposals.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact will be on the proposed congestion charging scheme for Edinburgh of drivers who are classified as untraceable as a result of variation in the records maintained by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority and what percentage of drivers it estimates will be affected.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter currently being explored by the City of Edinburgh Council and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh as part of the development of their charging proposals.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-26404 on 11 June 2002, who was responsible for commissioning the due diligence procedures on Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and whether the procedures were completed prior to the issuing of the contract.

Sir David Steel: The Construction Manager, Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Limited, was responsible for conducting due diligence procedures, which were completed before the contract was awarded.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-22110 on 4 February 2002, whether a decision has been made yet on whether to take legal action against Flour City International Inc. and whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will provide an up-to-date estimate of the losses resulting from the Flour City situation.

Sir David Steel: No decision has yet been made on whether to take legal action against Flour City International. The costs to the project arising from the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd are currently estimated as £3.85 million.

Parliamentary Accommodation

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will ensure that Scots, English and Gaelic appear on all signage in the new Parliament buildings with equal prominence.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body discussed signage at its meeting on 1 July, and decided that signage in the public areas in the new parliamentary buildings will be in English, Gaelic and Braille, and will also include symbols where appropriate.